How to Repair a Wood Tabletop

Wooden tabletops that are used daily will become damaged over time. Scratches, water marks and shallow dings are all common forms of damage to tabletops due to regular use. This damage can be repaired with a little effort and attention to detail. Although all of these damages may seem minor, it is important to repair them as they appear, since over time your tabletop will become more and more damaged and eventually will need to be completely restored.

Instructions

1

Wash the tabletop surface thoroughly with Murphy oil soap and water. Allow the tabletop to dry.

2

Dampen a cloth rag with denatured alcohol. Gently rub any white water rings on the surface of the table with the cloth rag to remove them.

3

Rub the areas where you removed the water rings with steel wool. Buff the area with paste wax using a clean cloth rag until the sheen is restored.

4

Touch up any small scratches in the tabletop with a touch-up stain marker. Allow the touch-up stain to dry.

5

Apply paste wax to the touched-up area and buff it to a sheen with a cloth rag.

6

Fill in any shallow dings in the tabletop with a tinted wax stick. Apply paste wax to the filled area and buff it with a clean rag.